The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has suspended its Managing Director (MD)Joseph Kimote amid fertilizer scandal charges.

The Board has replaced him with Samuel Karogo, who currently serves in an acting capacity as the organization's finance and accounting general manager.

NCPB chairman Samuel Ragwa confirmed that the decision to suspend the MD and other officials involved in the fake fertilizer scandal was made on Monday, May 6, 2024.

“Work must continue and that is why we made the decision. So we replaced John Kimote with Samuel Karogo, the General Finance manager, as the acting MD.”

This comes days after Kimote, Corporate Secretary John Kiplangat Ngetich, and General Marketing Manager John Mbaya Matiri were arrested on Wednesday following the Director of Public Prosecution’s approval to charge them alongside a businessman involved in the multi-million-dollar deal.

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Detectives, acting on the directives of the DPP, swiftly moved to arrest the officials for their alleged roles in the fertilizer fraud that led to an impeachment motion against Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters led investigations, which also led to the questioning of officials from government agencies responsible for handling the fake fertilizer, including the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and suppliers.